A Second Lesson in Life
by MsZelle
Summary: Making Haruhi a little more human, noone is exempt from the struggles of life, so how does our heroine deal with them?


**I realise that you may think her life is perfect and if you didn't then it wouldn't be a very good romantic comedy anime to watch however this may make you feel like shit in the moments when your life is messed up – so here's a 'slightly longer then my last one' yarn about one of Haruhi's moments of weakness. **

**Disclaimer: Ditto as last time, wish i did, but i don't own anything with Ouran High School. **

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"_Dear Miss __Haruhi Fujioka,_

_On behalf of the company I am writing to regretfully inform you that"_

Still clutching the letter, her hand dropped to her side as she took a deep breath. She really needed a summer job, she needed the money. 2 weeks left; 'Oh well, perhaps Mrs Hisakawa has accepted me.' Looking at the clock, her chest tighten, late, again. Running down stairs, clothes, shoes, school books a flurry, she grabbed her purse and disheartened at the weight turned to her father. Perhaps? Could she bring herself to ask him for money? She was meeting Suki after school in the café and she really needed to make a good impression after what the host club did to her old friend the week before. It was going to be awkard as they hadn't seen each other since she moved to Ouran High so it was important that this went well; she was incredibly nervous. Reluctantly she took a step ridigly towards her dad, now how does one go about this?

"D..Dad!" She slurted out. Ryoji Fujioka spun around in full okama glory with more make-up then Haruhi cared to own.

"Yes Darling?" Haruhi smiled nervously.

"You see I'm going to the café after school to see Suki and I…"

"Suki Hoshi?! Oh how wonderful." This interruption displaced Haruhi's confidence and she accidently skipped to the end of her 'reliable daughter' speech.

"..and I need money!" Ryoji looked at his daughter, knowing that he couldn't give her anything even though he desperately wanted to give her everything she wanted; but when does a parent ever say exactly what they mean?

"Can't you get a job? You spend a lot of time playing dress up with those boys at school, couldn't you just cut down and work at the café instead? Then you'd be able to get free coffee!" He tried to sound helpful.

"Yeah, great idea dad, I'll do that" smiling, she said cheerfully. "I'm late, gotta go!" though as soon as she got out of the door she looked at the rejection letter still in her hand, crushed it and threw it away. "Maybe Mrs Hisakawa has offered me a job?" she said aloud to the empty street and this little hope picked her spirits up again.

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I'm late, I'm late I'm late, these worlds flashed across her mind in quick succession as she flung open the door.

"ooo hhhh, Haruhi's late!" The twins chimed. "We were worried, thought that Tamaki had kidnapped you." That sing-song voice usually annoyed her or amused her, today she was slightly down-hearted and ignored it.

"Miss Fujioka, you're late," Haruhi flustered, tried to speak. "You had better have the homework." Oh no! Her body froze. "I am aware that it was pouring with rain yesterday so while you were stuck at home you did do your homework didn't you?" Yes, raining as apart of a thunderstorm. Haruhi had frozen up, hidden under the table and woken up there this morning, must to her aching body. The teacher, good at his job, recognised her face, "Spare me the excuse but this is going on your record." Tears stung as eyes; but it wasn't her fault.

"Haruhi's a rebel!" The twins sang, she look at them and laughed, they were so silly and carefree. They were making a joke of the situation and she smiled however later in the day a thought dawned on her; were they joking to cheer her up or did they not understand? They weren't afraid of thunderstorms.

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"Haruhi! Haruhi! Where have you been?" Tamaki whined as he jumped on her, hugging the life out of her in his affectionate way. "I was about to get Kyoya to send out a search party!" The twins jumped in between the Prince and the commoner.

"Late to club, late to class, Haruhi's turning into a lazy a…" One look from Mori and Hunny made their singing mouths quiet.

"I'm sorry, I had to speak to my teacher for being late and not doing homework and then I tried to get into contact with Suki but I can't and I got a call off Mrs Hisakawa to say I didn't get the job and…" Her words were racing as fast as her mind and the one thing that snapped her out of it was the laugh of Tamaki.

"Haruhi's all stressed out." Hunny commented worriedly and Mori nodded in agreement. Tamaki's laughing was started to irritate her.

"What?" she asked.

"Come meet your customers, they'll cheer you up and then we shall all go to the beach!" he announced, trying to take her mind off things. The host club saluted his idea, but Haruhi was not impressed, her mind full of the day's events. She turned and ran. Through the hallways, past the halls and libraries. Finally coming across an alcove and when she could run no more she collapsed, letting out a yell. Followed by many, many tears. Shaking she closed her eyes, put her hands over her ears and ceased to think for a time. After a while, she didn't know how long, she took a deep breath, shaking from weakness and emotion. Nothing particularly bad had happened today, so what was wrong with her? It had just all happened at once, she couldn't take any more attacks from reality today. A flashback of her teacher's words brought more tears to her eyes. The time after it was the memory of holding the rejection letter whilst her dad told her she was always playing 'dress up' that set her off again. Then Tamaki's laughing face, unable to understand what she had to go through; she didn't have a fortune and her dad didn't own the school. After more time, she finally moved her numb body to sit up on the bench in the alcove to which she had flung herself so harshly. Looking at the weather she laughed at the irony, raining. Of course. In a deep mood she looked at the picture hanging on the other side of the corridor, a picture of a smiling woman, more irony. She yawned feeling lethargic. "It's time to pick myself up again." Wiping at the already dry tears, she sighed and forced a smile. "Ok, you've got upset and it's time to move on, think of tomorrow." All was well and good again, apart from that tugging feeling that once again she had to pick herself up from a low, and there was still no one there to help, even after everything. She wanted someone to save her. 'Maybe that's just how life is.' she thought, 'Maybe this is what everyone goes through'. She thought of the times when Tamaki hugged his legs and cried in a corner, but that was for attention and what about for real? She couldn't imagine him hiding in an alcove with his thoughts and tears. Nope, he'd probably shrug it off, eat commoner's noodles and find someone to annoy; a smile flitted across her lips. Suki was waiting for her. No going back really, all you can do is your best and get on with it she concluded.

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**Thank you for reading, MsZelle x.x.x**


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